Noel G. Spence
Bio
Noel George Spence served as an artillery repairman in the 16th Field Regiment of the New Zealand Army’s Artillery during the Korean War. He was stationed along the 38th Parallel as part of an artillery regiment in which he was tasked with servicing and repairing large guns. Repairing the guns meant dislodging artillery shells that did not fire. These malfunctions posed a threat as they could have ended his life at any moment. Following the cease-fire, he worked as a truck driver transporting supplies. While in Korea, he frequently interacted with the Korean people and children. He is a veteran of both the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Video Clips
Conditions for Korean Children
Noel G. Spence describes his duty driving trucks of waste. He recounts how desperate Korean children would come to the dump to find supplies. He remembers how Seoul was captured and re-captured many times and how people were in desperate conditions. He recalls that the "lucky" Koreans had boxes for houses, clothing from soldiers, and scraps for food.
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Dangerous Job
Noel G. Spence recounts the dangers of his job working with artillery where he serviced twenty-five-pound artillery. He explains how repairing the guns meant a shell did not fire correctly which required him to work around live ammunition that could explode at any moment. He describes how there was no fixing a stuck anti-aircraft gun.
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In Retrospect
Noel G. Spence addresses why he fought in Korea. He discusses what fighting meant to him and how it saved South Korea. He expresses remorse about the shelling of the enemy. He recalls how on the night before the signing of the armistice, the Allies used up their shells as they did not want to be responsible for live artillery shells.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/noel-g-spence#clip-3
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Enlisting in the New Zealand Army
Noel G. Spence shares his enlistment story. He explains he and a friend had plans to join the New Zealand Air Force to "fight the Nazis". He notes that when they went to get the signing up papers, they didn't have papers for the Air Force, so they signed up for the New Zealand Army. He details his early training prior to being deployed to Korea in 1953.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/noel-g-spence#clip-4
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